www.fototails.com

photography

Here ya go. I’ve been photographing weddings professionally since 1989… yeah – that’s right – 27 years. Yes… I am that old… and yes I started with medium and large format cameras (the stone age). So… after 900+ weddings – I can pretty much say I’ve seen it all. I’ve photographed in 40 states and 6 countries… from weddings with 500+ attending, to a Grateful Dead wedding a mile back in the woods in a field… goth weddings… balloon weddings… I don’t even know where to start.

I NEED SOMETHING CRAZY FUN. It can be an elopement or big wedding. I’m offering 50% off any one of my packages to the first wedding couple that can WOW me with the wedding they have planned. Please e-mail my right hand Jenny at jennyb@fototails.com and I need a theme, a plan, your wedding date, your wedding location, how you met or your story, and why your wedding is going to be something I’ve never seen before.

ENTRIES must be received before November 1st, 2016. I MUST have your wedding date available to qualify.

To keep my edge in my work I need an occasional play date. Typically my play days are not my normal photography work that you see on a day to day basis. I spend my play dates with people that like to work a little outside of the box, and I shoot more MY style than at any other time. I’m pleasing myself, and pushing my boundaries while trying to keep the quality still at it’s best. My background is actually in the arts, and my personal love of shooting style can be a bit dark and crazy at times… I love people that play outside of the box…..”Bonkers, maybe – but let me tell you a secret… all the best people are.” ~Alice in Wonderland

We had a stellar crew going, but Jill Scott (did her own hair and make-up) kind of took everything to a new level… we have very like brains when it comes to having fun and creating some art. Susan Dillon of Kitty Mae Millinery is always our go to Mad-hatter and what a beautiful “orb” she had to hat this time around.

In the spirit of Alice in Wonderland we have lots to show soon, but I couldn’t help but show off two of my favorites so far. Promise, full cast & crew with more photos coming very soon!

How does your memory work?

“How does your brain lay down and retrieve memories? Your brain is made up of 100 billion neurons. As you grow and develop, these neurons are ‘wired up’ to each other, and communicate through thousands of connections – synapses. Memories are formed when certain connections are strengthened.” ~sciencemuseum.org.uk

Regardless of the times when you talk and think nobody on the planet understands you – humans do remain great communicators. We use language by way of symbols and words that represent our feelings, ideas, actions, and qualities. This is complex – and yet our lives are becoming seemingly more complex and the flood of information and memories can get ‘filed’ in rarely recovered folders in our mind.

A photograph has the power to recover memories, increase mood – reminding ourselves of positive times that improve how we feel now. Looking at a printed photograph is valuable – people hold them or look at them in an album or on a wall and reminisce about the past. What is an experience 20-30+ years ago – and possibly long forgotten can create a “remember this” in your mind and bring stories increasing bonds between people. A printed photograph can make you remember your daughter bursting with laughter on the floor, the way your son loved to run fast as he could, completely free, and it can bring back stories of your grandmother and how she would hug you or the smell of fresh-baked bread. It revives your senses, it re-files your memories putting more pleasant thoughts in the current files of your mind. It brings you tears at times too – and that is what makes a photograph valuable.

It’s not just a piece of paper. It is lifetimes of vivid book marks connecting your memories. A printed photograph is one memory that connects many memories and sorts them in a more pleasant order…. that is what makes one photograph so special.

Think about your favorite few photographs that come to mind and take a minute to reflect on the emotions that those photographs provoke – that is the power of a photograph.

It’s so much fun watching little girls dress up and play. Skip the playgrounds and letting them explore a set that is entirely new to them. Letting children be themselves and use their imaginations, lightly guided by our suggestions – and watching them fueled by the smile on your face watching them as you once were.

1. I was born a cheesehead – and that can be never taken away once given.

2. I have identical twin younger brothers.

3. Hate wine but LOVE champaign… gotta have the bubbly to make me like it.

4. I hate mushrooms 99% of the time

5. I started working at Godfather’s Pizza when I was 16 (almost 17)… yes, I was too young… yes they still hired me – and I got heckled for not being able to use half the machines and mixers because of it.

6. My first medium format camera was an RB67 (first 35mm was some Nikon,lol can’t remember which one), 2nd was a RZ67, 3rd Bronicas (a hand full of them), and then Mamiya 645s… until I made the leap to digital… Canon every since.

7. I use to be a painter – all oils.

8. In addition to visual arts/photography degrees. I also have a BS in Child Psychology and an MBA in Marketing

9. It has to be a good one, but my favorite pie is blueberry – and I’ll pass up about any other pastry or cake for a good pie anytime.

10. I am totally split personality…. 50% of me wants to sit by myself watch a movie, the other 50% of me wants to constantly travel and explore.

11. Favorite food: seafood… scallops, crab legs, lobster.

12. I would take a warm cozy fire in a cabin over being out in the snow… but if I have to be in the snow – I will be the one stomping in water puddles and making snow angels.

13. I can cook… but unless someone will clean it up – I would rather go out for dinner.

14. I hate putting puzzles together.

15. I LOVE people that know how to play, get dirty, and try to make everything fun. I refuse to be an adult.

I wanted to take a minute to introduce Andrea Cordova and Bridal Bootcamp. I talk to a lot of brides who all seem to chatter about dieting for their big day, and I think this is such a good alternative – and it produces great results. Please visit her website at SLIM DOWN FOR THE GOWN!

The Ultimate Bridal Package by Sysbro Fitness offers an exciting 12 week exercise, health, and nutrition program for future brides and anyone wanting to lose weight and feel great! We are on a mission to help brides and grooms jump start their new lives together feeling strong, sexy and confident! It is our goal to create an effective health and weight loss program for the individuals committed to Sysbro Fitness in Northglenn. It is important to us that each person receives special attention which is why we limit the class sizes to 12 people per class. At Sysbro Fitness, we understand that achieving quick and effective results is of great importance to our members, so we focus on muscle confusion when designing our exercise programs, reassuring members that they will not plateau, but improve with each week! The Ultimate Bridal Package is more affordable than personal training and members receive more personal attention than they would working out at the local gym. We offer our brides and grooms more than health and nutrition; each month after breaking a major sweat during workouts, our members enjoy a salon visit where our partners pamper them helping them look as good as they feel! Although this program is only 12 weeks long, it is a part of our mission to coach the current members well enough so they can easily continue on the correct path to health and wellness and live happily ever after.

Give them a call for more details today at (720)934-7157 and follow them on twitter at @slimdwn4thegown

More importantly, it gives you a boost of confidence on your wedding day so you feel as beautiful as you look!

I go on kicks of craving things now and then. Crepes have been on my mind for awhile and when Karen Windness answered my shout out on Facebook yesterday I had to make them. Why was I so afraid to make them before… good question. Super easy. As a bonus it allowed me to use leftover ham one more day by making them savory instead of sweet.

Another option if you want sweet is Karen’s cream cheese sauce (GREAT with berries or lemon and brown sugar or nutella or…) 2 parts cream cheese, softened (I usually use a half package)1 part butter, softened½ part powdered sugar (can adjust to your texture preference, thinner or thicker)½ part milkBeat together until smooth. Add a little bit of vanilla and dash of salt.

A little creating this weekend for a beautiful floral look-book coming soon. Featuring the beautiful work of Julia Kaaren of Mulberries and the make-up and hair styles from Samantha Koch of LadyCharm Artistry. This is just the tip of the iceberg… I’ll be posting the book soon with some beautiful creations!

In a day when we can go to the internet or scour youtube for much needed information, I would like to pose a question. Are we blessed with a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips or over loading our brains with too much information?

It’s easy for me to see both sides with what I do for a living. I can learn faster, and as an artist my style has developed and changed faster because of all the images that pass by my eyes in a given day. But just about every week, I take a moment an pause and think about how much time I may be spending “gathering” knowledge and try to put the brakes on to see how it may be hindering time that I’m actually learning on my own.

Absorbing knowledge or photo-copied knowledge.

I have to enter into this from an artists point of view because that is who I am, so I apologize for using my own reference points and hope you can relate it to your own.

I can look at an image from another photographer, or I can see a certain “pose” that I’m fond of done by someone else – and trying to remember a specific thing like a pose makes me cringe. Every time in the 25 years that I’ve been a photographer that I have tried to mimic an image of another, it is a struggle, it is uncomfortable, it isn’t me. I see some photographers out there trying to “duplicate” an inspiration shot and part of me says they are learning and the other part of me says they are just photo-copy machines. They can make their images look good only because they are copying what they have seen.

Trying to find yourself as an artist.

People ask all of the time “who inspires you” and I think the question that prompts me to look at myself is actually “what inspires you.” What inspires me is how people move, the colors in nature, the personalities of a person, and the study of light and how it bends around a room.

Inspiration boards.

Pinterest – although definitely is an additive endeavor; allowing you to hoard all of this eye-candy of inspiration onto a single page right before your eyes is defeating in personal inspiration at times to me as well. Clients bring in sheets of what they love, but as an artist it can definitely stunt your creativity – you are trying to make your work look like “the board” and then I have to ask.. how much of YOU is in your work?

LOVE OPEN DISCUSSION.

While I personally find it more important in my own growth to study the basics of light, shadows, colors, smells, and movement/interaction to help me find my best work. I would love to hear your thoughts on the instant access of “how to’s” available to us as photographers or artists and if you find it more as an inspiration or push to grow or if spending so much time “looking” and quick learning may defeat the purpose of your own art?

For photographers: When it comes to the actual session and you are creating a portrait – what is in your mind? Are you thinking about trying a “pose” or are you studying your subject how they move, how the light is on them and how you are going to get them to respond to you naturally?

Let’s just say it’s official. Girls are different than boys. Now I know what you’re thinking – that is no new concept, but I’m telling you – no matter what the differences I thought there were before… yesterday was proof positive.

Understand that I have two boys, I grew up with two brothers… I KNOW BOYS. If you’ve been following along at all the past year we have had a lot of tutu sessions through the studio and I’ve had many parents asking for a “boys” day. So yesterday we had our first official boys day at the studio. It was the most fun I think I’ve had at the new studio… and today… well, I AM EXHAUSTED! I can tell you the decibel level is about 100 times more than on a tutu day when you get a bunch of boys pass through your doors. Lets make it clear… boys ages about 18 months-9 years… about 15 boys within 6 hours.

I CAN’T WAIT TO DO THIS AGAIN!!! So as much as I’m enjoying a quieter day with my ONE boy at home today, it was an absolute blast and I would highly recommend it if you have a boy or boys. SO MUCH FUN and so much energy – and from what I’ve heard so far, the boys are talking about it still today and telling everyone about their studio “camp” day.